


More Family

by Leydhawk



Category: Eyewitness, NCIS
Genre: Amnesia, Future fic for Eyewitness, M/M, Rating increase for sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-17 11:00:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9320603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leydhawk/pseuds/Leydhawk
Summary: Philip is mugged while he is in Washington DC for Lukas' motocross event and loses his memory. When police run his DNA, a surprising connection is made to NCIS Agent Timothy McGee.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the particularly full lower lip on the talented Tyler Young (Philip on Eyewitness- a show I highly recommend!) and it's similarity to the beloved pout of Sean Murray. 
> 
> This probably isn't what my lovely NCIS readers would like most to see me posting, but at least I'm leaning back into that world. Ya'll probably know I'm not a McDee fan, so even though this is set post House Rules, I don't have Delilah in this, nor do I plan to except in past reference.

"McGee needs to know about this," Abby Scuito, forensic scientist extraordinaire, said to Gibbs, the head of the top NCIS investigative team, looking to him to make everything right.

"You shouldn't have been intercepting his voicemail, Abs," Gibbs replied.

"I was just testing that piece of cloning equipment to see if the guy from the Matthews case could have done what we thought he did! Tim knew I was working on that--"

"Gimme the information on the hospital."

Upstairs, Gibbs called Timothy McGee, his team's tech expert and jack of all trades, into the elevator, stopping it between floors.

"What's up, Boss?"

"That call intercept doohickey you and Abby were working on works."

"Okay. So Matthews might have been telling the truth that he never--"

"She intercepted a call to you."

"Oh."

"From Metro. They have a guy with amnesia who shares your genes."

McGee frowned. "A cousin, maybe? I--"

"Closer, they said. He's about 19 or 20."

Tim shook his head. "I don't know who that could be."

"You should go see."

"Yeah, okay, Boss."

~*~

Tim entered the hospital room to see a stranger. He was a young man with wavy brown hair, and, when he opened his eyes, they too were brown.

"You another cop?" The boy asked.

"Well, I am, but not on your case. I was notified that when they ran your DNA, they found a close familial match to me, but I'm sorry to tell you that I can't shed any light on who you are."

The boy sighed. "Damn."

Tim abruptly made a decision. "But we are somehow related, and closely, so I want to help you."

Frowning, the boy looked suspicious. "I'm a total stranger."

McGee shook his head. "No. Apparently, you're family. When are you being released?"

"They wanted me out this morning, but one of the nurses "lost" some paperwork so I could stay."

"Well, let's see if they can find it and you can room with me while we figure out who you are. I'm Special Agent Timothy McGee, NCIS."

"NC-- what?"

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service. We investigate crimes involving the Navy and Marine Corps."

"Huh. Okay. They've been calling me John."

"You can call me Tim. In all likelihood I'm probably a cousin or brother to you."

John side-eyed him. "Or...father?"

McGee froze. He didn't feel old enough to have a teenaged son, but thinking back, he realized it was possible.

"Pretty unlikely since I've always been careful about condoms, but..." Tim shrugged uncomfortably. "I'll go talk to the staff, okay?"

John bit his lip but nodded. It seemed the best option he had.

As soon as McGee got into the hallway, he texted Abby.

From Tim: Could you run the John Doe against my mom and dad's DNA please? I'd like to know if this kid could actually be my half-brother or (long shot) my son.

From Abby: OMG, yes I will. Does he look like you???

From Tim: I don't know... Brown hair, pale skin, but dark eyes and maybe shorter than me.

By the time he had arranged for John to be released into his care, Tim's phone had buzzed several times.

From Abby: Metro sent a picture with the DNA file! Look at his bottom lip!!!

From Abby: Don't deny it. He has your lip.

From Abby: I'm running the comparison now.

Tim started to help John get dressed, only then finding out that he'd been stabbed during the mugging that had left him sans memory. Tim ran down to his car and grabbed his go bag, returning and finding that his clothes were loose on John, but fit okay.

"Okay, so I'll pull my car around while they take you downstairs," McGee said.

As he went to do as he'd said, Tim thought back to the handful of girls he'd slept with while getting his undergraduate degree in college. Could one of them be John's mother?

He eliminated two he'd known for years afterward, but that still left two more, including the one night stand during which he'd lost his virginity. The girl had been a younger sister of a guy on his floor. Annie, he recalled, although a last name eluded him. They'd both been the only shy, younger kids at a party, and had gravitated toward each other. He'd brought her to his room to talk and they'd ended up fumbling through both their first times. Her brother had transferred later that semester and Tim had never heard from her again. He tried to recall details of the encounter and while he knew they'd used a condom, and that it had been over embarrassingly fast, he had no recollection of any problems that might have reduced the efficacy of the prophylactic.

He shook his head and got John into the Prius and headed to his apartment.

Getting the young man situated in his guest room, Tim was glad he'd moved to a larger apartment so that he had an actual bedroom to offer him instead of just a couch. Some of the clothes from his really skinny days fit John better than his go bag stuff, so they had that covered. It was uncomfortably quiet as they moved around one another.

"I feel like I should ask you about your life to try to figure out how we're related," Tim confessed as they sat down to a pizza he'd ordered.

"Believe me, I'm even more curious than you are."

"Yeah."

The doorbell chimed.

Tim went to answer and the very serious look on Abby's face told him what she was there to reveal. He swallowed hard.

"Can I meet him?" She asked.

McGee introduced them.

"Oh my God! You guys look so much alike!"

The men exchanged looks that agreed that they didn't think so.

"Abs, I think you need to tell us."

"Yes! Right! Okay, so there's an extended family match to Admiral McGee and your mom, Tim."

It hit him like a gut punch, even though he'd suspected when he'd seen Abby's face. John was his son. He had a grown son for whom he hadn't been there. He'd missed everything from taking care of Annie through all John's growing up and school and who even knew what all. It was heartbreaking, and Tim closed his eyes against the hurt.

"Wh-what does that mean?" John asked.

"It means that somehow, you're my son."

John turned pale and stared at him.

"And I have more," Abby said. They both looked at her warily.

"They didn't run your sample against people who are deceased, but I did."

John swallowed audibly.

"Your name is Philip Shea. Your mother Anne died two years ago. I'm so sorry."

Tim and Abby held their collective breath, but they didn't see any recognition in Philip's face. Sometimes a name was a key to memory recall, but it looked like they weren't that lucky.

"Annie. We were sixteen and I never saw her after the one night we had together. I'm sorry, John. Um, Philip," Tim said softly. "Your name is...pretty unique. We should be able to find out more about you pretty easily. Do you want me to search now?"

Philip nodded, and Tim grabbed his laptop. In minutes, information poured out.

"You grew up in Queens, in New York City. After several drug incidents with your mother, you went into foster care in Tivoli, New York. Helen Torrance and Gabe Caldwell are your foster parents. And you..." Tim cut off when he found Gabe's Facebook page with pictures of Philip and a tall blonde boy. He smiled. They looked incredibly happy. He turned the computer. "It looks like you have an adoring boyfriend."

Philip stared at the screen, reaching out to scroll through the pictures, frustration twisting his features.

"Why can't I remember them?" He cried, then fell back into his seat and buried his face in his hands.

Abby rushed to him and hugged him, always the emotional comforter.

"Philip, I'm sorry. There was so much blood loss that your brain was starved of it for a while. That's what seems to have caused the amnesia," Tim said as gently as he could. "But memories can return in an instant. Please...try not to worry."

The boy shrugged Abby off and rose, heading for the bedroom.

"Philip, I'd like to call your foster parents if that's okay," Tim said.

"Yeah. Go ahead," Philip muttered, then went into the guest room and shut the door.

Abby turned her physical affection onto Tim, who patted her back and suggested she go.

"Timmy, you have a son! I'm here for you. You know that. Finding out I was adopted and meeting my biological brother Kyle and getting to know him... I really do understand, alright? Please call me if you want to talk."

"Yeah. I will. But every minute I talk with you is another minute his family is worrying--"

"Oh! Call them! Tell me how it goes."

He saw her out, then called Helen Torrance.

"Oh thank God!" She exclaimed when he explained the situation. "Lukas is still in DC and he's frantic! Gabe and I are on the way, but please let Lukas see him. They're really important to each other."

"Send me the number and I'll call him right away."

One call and half an hour later, there was a pounding on Tim's door. He opened it to the blonde young man from the Facebook pictures.

"Lukas, hello, I'm Tim. Philip is--" he gestured toward the guest room door and the tall young man pushed past him and flung it open. Tim followed and watched in fascination as the sight of his lover brought Philip's eyes alight. He could practically hear the memories popping back into Philip's consciousness.

"Lukas!" Philip shouted. He winced as he jumped up to hug his boyfriend.

Tears filled Tim's eyes as he watched them hold each other, and listened to the disjointed reunion.

"Was on my way to the arena and--"

"--looking for you...so scared..."

"I couldn't remember anything!"

"Shh, shh, I'm here..." Lukas started crying, his whole body shaking, and Philip wrapped him up tight.

"It's okay it's okay..."

It didn't take long for Lukas to get ahold of himself.

"Hey, man, you wanna hear the crazy part?" Philip asked. Lukas nodded.

"Tim here," he gestured behind the tall boy, and they both turned to look at McGee, "is my father."

"What?!"

"They tested my DNA and--"

Lukas moved aggressively toward Tim. "Where were you all his life, huh? Do you know what he went through growing up? You just abandon your kid and now you think you can--"

"Stop!" Philip's voice cut through Lukas' anger and he looked over his shoulder at the boy.

"I never knew. I found out six hours ago, Lukas," Tim said softly.

Lukas looked back and forth between them, then turned his focus back to Philip.

The boys hugged each other again, and Tim backed out of the room, closing the door.

His son. He had a son.

Tim smiled.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Philip and Tim try to adjust to the idea of one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to wait to post this until I had chapter 3 sent to my beta, but we need stories today. I think fanfic is the only thing keeping me sane today. So far. 
> 
> So the wait for chapter three could be a week or more. Just giving you warning.

When Timothy McGee went to work the next day, he was in a bit of a distracted fog. He was glad it was a paperwork day.

Until his partner, Tony DiNozzo, grew bored and started pushing for information.

"Will you just lay off, Tony?!" Tim begged. Gibbs had gone upstairs to meet with the Director, and Tony had started pitching idea after ridiculous idea about where McGee had gone the day before. It was a familiar pattern of teasing, one Tim had grown used to since he knew it was one way Tony showed affection, but this whole fatherhood thing was just too fresh and unnerving to roll with the banter.

"Timmy! How did it go? How's Philip?" Abby Scuito asked as she clomped into the squad room in her platform boots.

Tim wanted to bang his head on his desk.

"Oo! Who's Philip?" Tony asked, putting an awful innuendo on Tim's newly discovered son's name.

"That's enough, DiNozzo!" Tim snapped. He stood up and stared at Tony. "Philip is my son, alright? I just found out about him, and--"

"There's a mini-McGee toddling around? That's adorable! Who's the mother? You've been holding out on--"

"Cut it, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, stopping the barrage of questions. The older man came down and approached Tim. "How's he doing?"

McGee looked around. "He got his memory back."

"That fast? Oh my God that's great!" Abby exclaimed.

"The moment his boyfriend showed up," Tim admitted, smiling.

"Wait, mini-McGee is gay?" Tony asked.

Tim rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Tony."

"But... How old is he?"

"Twenty."

"But you were a virgin when you met us! Abby plucked your flower, popped your cherry, made sweet, sweet--"

Tim rolled his eyes and decided to ignore Tony. He focused on Gibbs and Abby.

"Lukas, his boyfriend, is really protective. And his foster parents are great. The boys have an apartment in New York, in the city. Philip is in school for photography," McGee said. There was just so much that he'd learned in such a short time. "He said he wants to stay in touch. I...I get to try to get to know my son..."

Abby hugged him, and Gibbs slapped him on the back.

Tony's desk drawer slammed and he was suddenly there beside Abby, a genuine smile on his handsome face.

"Congratulations, Daddy," DiNozzo said, holding out a cigar. "It's a boy!"

The NCIS crew laughed.

~~NCIwitness~~

"Thanks for staying," Philip said. Sitting in a diner with Lukas, Helen, and Gabe having breakfast seemed like a strangely normal thing, and made the previous week feel like a dream. Or a nightmare, really.

Except that Philip now had a father.

Of course he had had a father but since he had never known him, had never even been told his name, it was as if he hadn't.

"Well it isn't as if we had to come from Tivoli or something. We were in the city working with the police to try to find you," Helen said, shrugging, ever the nonchalant pragmatist. Philip looked at Gabe and saw the overwhelming emotion in his foster father's eyes that always more than made up for Helen's stoicism.

His eyes slid to his right and caught Lukas staring at him as if he could devour him to keep him safe, and Philip tilted his head and smiled a tiny, private smile at him. Lukas' mouth twisted and he rolled his eyes, but Philip understood everything that Lukas didn't say. When Lukas had broken down and cried for a few moments the night before, Philip knew how epic that was. He'd seen Lukas finish a motocross race dry-eyed with a broken collarbone and dislocated wrist; he knew how tough his boyfriend was.

"We can stay as long as you want," Gabe said. Philip nodded.

"I really just want to go home as soon as possible. I don't think I ever want to come back to Washington DC again."

"But... Your Dad is here," Lukas protested. Philip's eyes widened.

"Dad... Well, he's my biological father but I don't think I want to call him my Dad."

"Fine. Tim, or whatever. You do want to see him again, right?"

Philip glanced at Helen and Gabe, not entirely comfortable discussing it in front of them.

"I guess we can get to know each other in different cities. I mean, he's obviously a tech guy. I need to get back to school. I was only supposed to be gone a few days and... Oh shit, the mugger took all my equipment! How am I supposed to go to photography classes with no equipment?" Philip's mind churned. Not only all his gear, but his phone as well as his wallet with his debit card. He groaned. "Everything is a mess..." He covered his head and slumped.

"Hey. Hey," Gabe said. "You're safe. You got your memory back. Everything else is just stuff. You are what's irreplaceable, Philip."

"And look, man, your fath--er, Tim, he's like a serious cop, right? Maybe he can track your stuff and help with the card and shit," Lukas added. "I'll call him, okay?" The tall young man stood.

"Lukas, finish your breakfast," Helen protested.

"Nah. I'm done. I'm gonna go outside and call."

Philip looked after Lukas and sighed again.

"He went crazy looking for you," Gabe told him. Philip nodded. He didn't even want to imagine how hard it must have been for Lukas. Philip knew, after all the twists and turns their relationship had taken, even when it had ended for a while, that he was Lukas' rock.

Philip just felt overwhelmed by the thought of having to replace all that had been taken from him.

"So Tim says we should meet him at lunch time. He wants to help take care of everything," Lukas said as he slid back into the booth beside Philip.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Philip asked.

"I don't know, but he gave me an address. I say we go and see what he can do."

Philip nodded. Sometimes it was just easier to let Lukas take the lead.

~~NCIwitness~~

McGee got the okay to leave as soon as he got off the phone with Lukas. He searched for information on the school and program Philip was in, and found a store that sold the equipment he'd need. On his way to that store, he stopped and picked up the latest model cell phone and brought it with.

At the camera boutique, he had the employees get every piece of suggested hardware the school's web site listed and have them ready for Philip to sort through for what he wanted. Then he spent the rest of the time while he was waiting for Philip to arrive canceling the boy's debit card and arranging for a new one to be delivered to his home address and looking at laptop computers online that might be right for Philip in case that had also been stolen.

When Philip arrived with Lukas in tow, Tim was a little relieved that Helen and Gabe weren't with them.

But Philip didn't want Tim to buy him all the supplies as he'd planned to.

"This isn't your responsibility to do, Tim," Philip protested.

"I... I have a lot of time to make up for, and--"

"Throwing money around won't make up for you not being there," the boy replied.

McGee shook his head. "No. It won't. But I have the money to help you get back to where you were before last week and if I can do that, then we can talk about starting from there to get to know each other."

Philip turned and walked out, but Lukas stayed and pointed out which items Philip had lost from the gear on the counter. Tim paid for them and gave Lukas the cell phone, too.

"Thank you, Lukas," Tim said. The boy sighed.

"I just want things to go back to normal. My season is over, so I can start my online classes again. We're going home, probably tomorrow. He's worried about school. This stuff will help."

"I want to help however I can. And I really want to get to know you guys."

Lukas looked around. "I think he wants that, too, but..."

"I won't push."

The boy shook his head. "Sometimes you gotta push."

Tim nodded and watched Lukas walk out after Philip.

He'd do anything he needed to to do right by them. He just needed to find out what that was.

He followed slowly.

~~NCIwitness~~

"Here," Lukas said, handing Philip the bags of camera stuff.

"What?! You just let him--"

"You need it. You need it for school, okay?"

Philip huffed and turned his head away. "I don't know what to do with this guy."

Lukas took Philip's hand. "Give him a chance. Right now, he's trying to help, dude. We should let him."

Philip pursed his lips. "Looks like you already did," he said sourly, swinging the bags. Lukas shrugged and took them back.

"Let me carry those. You got stabbed."

Philip chuckled at the reminder of how many times he'd said the same thing to Lukas two years before when he'd been shot. And then in the time since when Lukas was injured from bike wrecks or strains from training.

"So, you guys gonna let me take you to lunch?" Tim asked as he came up behind them.

They shared a look. "Yeah. Okay," Philip said.

"Great!"

~~NCIwitness~~

Tim McGee, Philip's father, was unflaggingly upbeat and enthusiastic. Lukas had no idea how Philip had ended up quiet and cynical with Anne's optimism and Tim's positivity.

Well, he did understand it. He'd heard of nature versus nurture, and nurture was for the win on that one.

Lukas watched as Tim doggedly asked questions and ended up telling them stories about Philip's paternal family when Philip was unforthcoming about himself.

As they finished eating, Tim grew serious.

"I only knew Annie briefly. Can you tell me about her?"

"Anne."

"She stopped using the diminutive. Okay. Anne."

Philip looked away, and Lukas put his hand on his thigh under the table, trying to be supportive.

"She said we didn't have any family. It was always just us."

"So she never mentioned her brother, your uncle, Jeff?"

Philip shook his head.

"I'd...I'd like to try to get in touch with him. We went to college together for a semester. He was older than me. Lived on my floor in the dorm," Tim offered. "I'll let you know how it goes and you can decide if you want to have contact with that part of your family. You may have a lot of blood relatives on that side, I don't know."

Philip frowned.

"If there's family of Anne's, why weren't they there when Philip was a kid? Why weren't they at the funeral?" Lukas asked resentfully.

Tim looked sad. "I don't know. Anne was sixteen when I met her. We both were. Some families don't react well to teenaged pregnancy."

"I thought you said you met her when you were in college," Lukas said.

"Yeah. I went early."

Philip kept sneaking times to study Tim, and Lukas recognized that he was trying to figure the guy out. Lukas hoped that Tim would end up awesome. So far he hadn't even blinked at them being gay, so that was something.

"Why don't you, um, tell us about you," Lukas suggested when the silence started to feel weird.

"Oh, sure. Okay," Tim said, then spent a while telling them about being the son of a Navy officer and moving a lot and disappointing his dad and becoming a cop. He talked more about his team at work than he had about his family.

"Gabe built a boat, too," Philip offered when Tim talked about Gibbs building boats in his basement.

"Yeah? That's pretty cool that we both have someone in our life who builds things. I'm not a water guy at all myself."

"Seasick, you said?" Philip asked. Lukas wanted to cheer. He could see Philip starting to open up a little.

"Yeah. Bad. And, um, I write. I'm a novelist."

Philip's eyes narrowed and he looked closely at Tim, who seemed a little uncomfortable with the admission.

"I don't know if your mom was creative, so I figured I would let you know you have some of that through me," Tim hurried on.

"You...you're successful. Aren't you," Philip said. Lukas looked at him, unsure how he could have known that.

Tim nodded. "So...I really, um, if you need anything, I really do want you to ask."

Tim's eyes flicked to Lukas for a split second and then he focused on Philip, leaning in.

"I don't know how to say that I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I'm so glad to get to be a part of your life now, but I understand that you've gone through a lot of stuff that sucks. I want to know you. I want to be there for you. Do you think you're going to let me do that?"

Philip bit his lip. "I don't... I don't need a dad."

Tim's face fell.

"But I think we can try to, um, be friends."

The smile that lit Tim's face at that made him look almost their age. Lukas squeezed Philip's leg in support, and Philip covered his hand and squeezed back.

When they were done with lunch, they split up outside, but before they parted ways, Tim shook both their hands, and Philip thanked him for buying him the phone and camera equipment.

Lukas and Philip walked to Lukas' truck and they agreed that Tim was pretty okay.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lukas and Philip reconnect and Tim seeks advice on how to deal with the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating went up! If you know me, you know I like my smut, and this won't be any surprise.

Getting back to New York and school was a relief. Those days when Philip couldn't remember anything had been harrowing. He tried not to think about it. The very worst part, the part he couldn't get out of his head, was when he'd looked at the pictures Tim had shown him on Facebook and he hadn't recognized Lukas.

Philip looked at Lukas as they sat on the couch. He hated knowing that Lukas had worried about him.

"Hey," Philip said, elbowing his boyfriend.

"Huh?" Lukas looked up from the video he was watching on his phone.

Philip licked his lips and reconsidered. Maybe he shouldn't bring it up.

Lukas frowned. "What is it?"

"I just... I'm sorry," Philip finally said.

"For what?"

"For getting into trouble. For making you worry."

"Philip... I was really scared, not knowing what was going on or where you were... I really never want to feel that way again."

Lukas kept fiddling with his phone and looking away, and Philip understood.

"That's why... I'm sorry."

Lukas looked at him, finally. All the hurt and fear and hope was apparent in his eyes, and Philip cupped his face and kissed him.

It felt like home. Lukas always felt that way.

"It's not like you did it on purpose," Lukas muttered against his lips.

Philip shook his head in agreement and swung himself up and over to kneel across Lukas' lap. He loved the way Lukas' hands always spread over his back, sliding around and pulling him close, then just roaming restlessly like he couldn't get enough.

Rolling his hips the way he knew drove Lukas crazy, Philip grunted as Lukas gripped his ass and encouraged him. Their kisses grew deeper, more searching, and they moved together almost like they had when they were first secretly hooking up, their bodies both holding the desperate edge of tension.

"You wanna do it here or the bedroom?" Lukas asked, panting. Philip chuckled. Lukas' impatience to get to the fucking had never waned once they'd gotten to that. They tugged at each other's shirts and stripped down quickly.

Philip reached for the condoms and lube they kept in the drawer of the coffee table.

"Here. Right here. Lay down," Philip said, and while they wriggled out of their jeans and underwear and repositioned so Lukas was stretched out full length on the couch with his feet hanging over the arm rest, Philip fingered himself quickly, just getting the lube where it needed to be.

Lukas put the condom on with practiced ease, and then took the lube from Philip and slicked himself. Philip shifted and sank down onto him in one long, drawn out movement and they both groaned. Lukas kept running his hands all over Philip's chest and back, then bringing one down behind and tracing Philip's stretched hole before he cupped both cheeks and gave a rough thrust.

"Ah! Oh God, yeah," Philip moaned, starting to rise and fall, rocking forward and back in the undulations that made Lukas' eyes widen as he stared up, watching every curve, and that let Philip find the right angle.

Reaching for his own cock, Philip stroked and clenched down on the hard length inside him.

Lukas ran his fingers lightly over the healing skin where the knife had cut Philip's stomach, and his face twisted with shadows even while his hips stuttered harder, reaching for the sense of reassurance that Philip was still there, he was back, and healing, and so very alive in his arms.

Philip frantically slid back and forth on Lukas' cock, hand stripping himself, eyes locked with Lukas'.

"Ah, oh, Lukas, I'm gonna--"

Lukas' eye were slitted, and he pushed and pulled on Philip's hips, teeth bared, getting close as well.

"Yeah. Yeah, do it... Fucking do it, Philip, c-come for me..."

Light exploded behind Philip's eyes and he felt spurt after spurt shoot onto Lukas' chest, felt Lukas hump up hard into him and heard him groan deep and low, caught the throbbing sensation of Lukas coming inside him, and then Philip fell forward and kissed Lukas like he was air.

As their breathing settled, the kisses slowed, too. They separated and cleaned up, staying close to each other, then settled back laying down pressed tightly together, arms wound around each other.

Lukas kissed Philip's hair.

"My dad wants to come visit," Lukas said.

"Hm. Why?"

"He cares about you, idiot. He wants to see for himself you're okay."

Philip didn't move. As hard as Bo Waldenbeck had tried since Lukas came out, he was still very much a conservative, small town man. When their two families got together, Bo did better because of Gabe's influence, but since Philip's foster family had just been away from Tivoli for more than a week while Philip had been missing, they likely wouldn't be around during a visit from Bo.

"Um, okay, I guess. Or we could go see him?"

Lukas sighed. "That might be better. You're right."

"So... Did he say anything to you while I was...gone?"

"He, um, he was worried, like everyone."

"But he didn't go to Washington to help."

"He couldn't leave the farm."

"Uh-huh."

"...I know. I think he...it reminded him of when my mom died. He's not so great with feelings and shit."

"It's him that's not. Yeah," Philip teased. Lukas rocked their bodies, the equivalent of an elbow to the ribs.

"I'm better than I used to be. You gotta admit that."

"Sure."

Lukas sighed. He hugged Philip closer.

"I don't wanna think about what it would be like if I hadn't found you."

Philip considered teasing further about the fact that Lukas hadn't been the one to find him, but decided that it would be cruel and not funny.

"I never want to lose you," Lukas continued.

"I'm right here. It's okay."

Lukas was shaking and Philip moved to lay on top of him and kiss him.

They laid that way for a long time, sharing kisses and looking at each other and wordlessly each reassuring himself that the other was alive and well and present.

Eventually, Philip felt Lukas start to harden under his hips and he smiled.

"Let's go to the bedroom this time."

~~NCIwitness~~

As was typical, Tim's work load overwhelmed him, but he still made time to search for Jeff Shea and Philip's other family. Finding them was easy. Deciding what to say to them was hard.

Email from Timothy McGee to Philip Shea:

Hi Philip,

I want you to know I found your uncle and your grandparents. I would like to contact Jeff, but I don't want to overstep. I want to ask if you'd rather make contact, or even if you'd rather no one did.

I hope school is going well. Any lingering difficulties from the attack? I'm here if you want or need anything. I can find you a therapist if you'd like to talk to a professional.

Please say hello to Lukas for me.

I'll be in New York to meet with my publisher in a month or so. I hope we can get together and maybe have dinner or something while I'm there.

Please let me know what you want me to do about contacting your mother's family.

-Tim

Response:

Tim,

I don't really want to deal with those people yet, but I do want to know what happened to my Mom back then. So I guess I'm okay with you contacting them, but I don't want them to know where I am. Maybe it's cowardly, but that's how I feel.

School is fine. I've attached a couple of my pictures for you to see. Thanks again for the camera stuff.

I will let you know if I need to talk. I saw a counselor after my mom died, and I might talk to her again. No offense, but she already knows all the crap from my past and I'm comfortable with her.

Lukas says hi back. I gave him your contact info: hope that's okay. Let us know when you'll be here and we'll definitely want to see you.

-Philip

So Tim was left with the task of figuring out how to talk to a man he'd barely known in college and for whom he harbored resentment and anger on Philip's behalf. He decided he needed advice and went to the wisest person he knew: Dr Ducky Mallard, the Medical Examiner for NCIS.

The elder Scotsman was obviously pleased to have Tim's confidence and they went out to dinner after work one evening to have privacy to talk.

"I have not had the opportunity to congratulate you on your rise to fatherhood, Timothy," Ducky began as they were seated.

"Thanks, Ducky. It's rather complicated but I'm happy."

"If anyone is good at making complicated things understandable, it is you, my boy. After all, you are the technical expert who works with Jethro."

Tim chuckled. Jethro Gibbs was certainly the most intelligent man Tim knew who was practically a Luddite.

"So, I wanted to get your advice on how to approach the rest of Philip's mother's family."

"Well, Abigail told me a little, but perhaps you will give me the whole story upon which to base such advice."

"Sure. Um, well, I... Okay. At college, my first year, there was a party in my dorm and one of the guys on my floor, Jeff, who was a junior, had his sixteen year old sister visiting: Anne, Philip's mother. I was sixteen, too, and we started talking as the youngest people there, and went back to my room and had sex. First time for both of us. I never saw her again. Jeff didn't come back to school in the fall and since we'd never been close, I didn't think anything of it."

"Have you discovered why he did not return to school?"

"He joined the army."

"I see."

"Their parents still live in a town in Pennsylvania."

"Small town?"

Tim nodded.

"So what is the angle from which you have considered approaching them?"

"I'm angry, Ducky. Philip grew up with a drug addicted mother in the projects. He was pulled out of his mother's home at seventeen and placed in foster care. How could they let that happen to him?"

Ducky shook his head. "Timothy, you seem to be asking 'how could I let that happen to him'? And you know the answer to that."

"I do?" Tim's chest was tight like he was having an impending asthma attack.

"Well, if you don't, perhaps that is something you need to discover before confronting anyone else."

Looking away, Tim knew Ducky was right. It wasn't the answer he'd wanted from his friend but it was what he needed to hear.

"There's more, too. Philip was an eyewitness to a triple homicide. He and his boyfriend were hunted by the murderer, and Lukas was shot. If I had been there for him--"

Ducky held up a hand. "Timothy. 'If only' is a rabbit hole from inside which one can consume oneself. You cannot let yourself disappear into that. Not if you want to develop a healthy relationship with the boy."

Tim nodded. "I don't know how to get past the guilt, though."

"Forgiveness, my dear boy. You have to forgive yourself."

"I've never been really all that good at that."

Ducky nodded. "I know. Perhaps spending more time with Philip will let you see how he has adjusted and become an adult without your or his other family's input and that may assuage some of your guilt. If he's your son I am certain he's strong and making the best of what life has thrown at him."

"He's very guarded. But I think his boyfriend is supportive of him getting to know me, and when I briefly met his foster parents, they were nice. Oh, get this: Gabe, his foster dad, builds boats."

Ducky laughed at that. "That sounds light a delightful serendipity! Perhaps they are where you should start."

Tim thought about what Ducky had said afterward and decided that was a good way to start.

Email to Philip Shea from Timothy McGee:

Hello Philip,

I hope you're healing well and life is returning to normal for you and Lukas.

I'm going to be in New York around the 17th. I would like to see you guys, and I was even thinking we might see if Gabe and Helen could come to the city and join us.

Please let me know if the days before or after the 17th would be best for you and your family.

-Tim

Gibbs was supportive of Tim taking the time he needed for his newfound family, and Tim was met with eager curiosity by all his coworkers when he spoke of receiving an email or call from Philip or Lukas.

That had been a pleasant surprise for Tim: Lukas had reached out to him independently. From the little Tim knew of the couple, it was apparent that Lukas was the more outgoing of the two, so it shouldn't have been all that surprising.

But talking to Lukas on the phone every few days opened in Tim a longing to develop more communication with Philip. The stories Lukas told him about Philip were usually lighthearted, and Tim was getting a sense of Philip's humor and sarcasm that only made him want to experience them firsthand.

Hopefully, seeing each other in person would start to allow Philip to get comfortable with Tim and to be himself more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am posting as I write so I can't promise when I'll update. But on the plus side, I might be inspired by ideas and suggestions.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim works on getting to know Philip and Lukas better, and we see a bit more of how Philkas are together at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on getting some of these WIPs added to with the intention of completing them. Look for a new chapter of The System soon! And please remember that comments keep me motivated, even short ones (especially ones consisting of something other than 'more!': it's nice to know someone is enjoying my hard work, but maybe stretching it to: 'Thanks! More!' might feel a little better on my end...)

"--I know, Dad, we've just been busy with school and--" Lukas was on his phone when Philip came in. Philip winced. They'd been putting Bo off, and from the stressed out sound in Lukas' voice, they needed to get their asses in gear and make firm plans to see him.

Lukas looked at him with a smile, despite being on the line with Bo, and Philip mouthed 'Saturday' to him with raised eyebrows. Lukas nodded and his shoulders relaxed. Philip put his backpack down and wandered to the kitchen to see what they had left for a snack. With Lukas home from the circuit, food disappeared at an alarming rate.

"How about Saturday, Dad? Like, brunch with Gabe and Helen?"

Philip nodded to himself and shot a quick text to Gabe.

From Philip: Would you mind hosting brunch on Saturday for us and Bo?

From all the discussions Philip and Gabe had had about Bo, he was confident that his foster father would rearrange anything he needed to in order to accommodate the request. And it spoke of enormous growth between them that Philip was okay asking.

From Gabe: Sure. We have 3 Pomaranians with us, so be ready for hyper fluffballs.

Philip laughed.

"Okay. Yeah. See you then," Lukas said, coming into the kitchen area. "Thanks." Kissing Philip quickly, he grabbed a few of the peanuts Philip had put in a bowl to munch on.

"Is he okay with Saturday? Gabe said it's fine, he's just watching some little yappy dogs."

"Yeah, Dad just had to guilt me some more that it's been weeks you've been back and he hasn't gotten to see you and blah, blah, blah."

Philip nodded and chewed a mouthful of nuts, looking into the fridge. He rolled his eyes at the takeout container of plain white rice, single cheese slice, and bottles of various condiments that were all that was left.

"I ordered Chinese, and I promise to shop tomorrow," Lukas said.

"Good. I hate eating dry cereal for breakfast."

"I know, I know. Hey, just wake me up before you get in the shower and I'll run down to the bakery for muffins or croissants or something. You name it."

Philip gave him a sideways look. "Are you still overcompensating? I'm home. I'm fine."

Lukas shrugged and looked away.

Philip punched his shoulder. "Come on! I'm fine!"

Lukas put Philip in a headlock and Philip laughed, pushing and trying to get away.

"You're not fine, I'm not fine, but you're here at least," Lukas said, eventually letting Philip go but putting his hand on Philip's stomach where he'd been cut.

Philip sighed. "You should make an appointment with your counselor."

Lukas gave him a flat look. "I will if you do."

"I'm fine."

"You're kicking the shit out of me with your nightmares. I have bruises from your bony little toes."

Philip rolled his eyes but felt himself flushing with guilt.

"Yeah, okay. We'll both go."

After dinner, Philip was studying while wearing headphones. Between songs, he heard Lukas' voice and he pulled one ear bud out.

"--Dad was a lotta the reason I was scared to come out," Lukas was saying.

Philip craned his neck to look toward the bed where Lukas was sprawled, talking on his phone.

"Yeah, he was out. Really comfortable with himself. But supported me... He went along with whatever I wanted like that, even when I was a total asshole."

Philip deduced Lukas was talking to Tim again. It might actually have been weird for his boyfriend to be developing a relationship with his father faster than he was, but it kind of felt good, in a way. He and Lukas were a unit, so Tim talking with Lukas was really Tim talking with Lukas-and-Philip, even when Philip wasn't on the line.

"Okay. Yeah. Don't let Gibbs work you too hard. Ha! Okay. Bye."

Lukas ended the call.

"He got a call out. Dude, I can't even imagine working the amount of hours he does!" Lukas said, apparently aware Philip had listened in.

"Like Helen during the cabin murder case," Philip said, nodding. His foster mother had barely been around at all while, as Sheriff, she had headed up the investigation into the murders he and Lukas had witnessed.

"But, like, even worse, man! His hard ass boss makes them sleep at the office sometimes!"

"What? Did he tell you that?"

"No, his partner, that Tony dude, he answered Tim's phone once and we talked for like half an hour."

Philip rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm sure he's exaggerating."

"No, man! Tim confirmed it. He seemed embarrassed or something."

"Okay, fine. I guess it's a cop thing. Great."

Lukas moved closer to him. "Babe, he always wants to know about you. I think you should try to talk with him yourself more."

"I don't need him."

Sighing, Lukas shrugged. "But he needs you. He's got his work family, you know, but he doesn't really have anything else. He writes, alone. He says he used to play video games with some online friends but he doesn't anymore. He hasn't had a girlfriend in a while. He could use a real, like, connection."

Philip looked at him, studying the familiar earnestness Lukas so often displayed. "You really like him, don't you?"

"He's pretty awesome, yeah. He's a nerd but he's cool. Kinda like you."

Philip elbowed him, but shrugged.

"I'll try to talk with him some when we all get together."

~~NCIwitness~~

They made arrangements for Tim, Philip, Lukas, Helen, and Gabe to meet at an art gallery in SoHo that was showing some student work, including two of Philip's photographs.

Philip and Lukas were having everyone over afterward at their tiny apartment for dinner.

Wandering in the art gallery, people moved at different paces and ran across one another in different areas.

"I'm really glad to see you taking an interest in Philip's life," Gabe said to Tim as they stood looking at a photographic collage of skyscrapers depicted as a flower arrangement.

"Thank you. I'm not sure how much he wants me to, but I could never just ignore his existence after I learned of him."

"It takes time with Philip. Be patient."

"Lukas encouraged me to push a little."

"If you have Lukas on your side you're ahead of the game," Helen said as she came up behind them.

"I'll take any advantage I can get. I like Lukas. I'm glad Philip has him."

"Uh-oh, they're parent conferencing, dude!" Lukas said, approaching with Philip.

Tim looked up, tensing, but Lukas was smiling widely and had his arm around Philip's shoulders. Philip didn't smile, but his posture and face were relaxed.

"Well I've gotta learn somehow, huh? And who better than other folks who started late?"

"Well I think you're all doing pretty good, huh?" Lukas offered. Philip smiled at the taller boy, and Tim felt a sense of gratitude that Philip had someone in his life he seemed to trust completely.

"You guys ready to go?" Philip asked, turning his gaze to the adults. Tim met his eyes with a smile.

"Sounds good to me," Tim agreed, and they all moved toward the front of the gallery. Out on the sidewalk, he stayed close to Philip, with Gabe and Helen dropping back to allow them space. "I particularly liked your time lapse shot with the pigeons," he offered as they headed for the subway station.

"Thanks. I like learning to do the technical shots like that, but I'm focusing on action photography when I can," Philip said.

"Lukas said that's what brought you together initially."

"He's always had a great eye for that. My best shots are his, even when there's pros shooting me, too," Lukas enthused. Philip gave a half shrug but looked pleased at the praise.

Back at the apartment, Tim browsed the framed photographs on the walls while Gabe and Philip put the food together. Lukas gave a running commentary on the pictures, and Helen identified the pieces that Philip had developed in the dark room that she and Gabe had built for him at their home.

There was a distinct feel to all Philip's photographs. There was sky in nearly all of them, and an upward angle like they expressed the young man's yearning for freedom.

Except for the pictures of the couple. Those all angled down, like they were grounded and solid. Tim smiled, so happy that Philip had Lukas.

After they ate, Lukas suggested that Philip and Tim go for a walk together. They grabbed their jackets and left without saying much.

"I, um, I heard you decided not to talk to my mom's family," Philip said finally. Tim's heart sank.

"I wanted to talk with you more, first."

"Okay."

They walked a block or so in silence.

"I'm feeling really guilty that I wasn't there for you. Lukas didn't tell me too much about your childhood but I get that it was difficult. I wish... Well, I just want to get to know you more, and deal with my own feelings some before I talk with them."

Philip sighed. "I had an okay childhood. I always knew my mom loved me. Sure, we didn't always have...stuff, but... We got by. You don't need to pity me."

"No. I don't pity you. I just know that I could have made a difference in your life and I didn't."

Philip just shook his head. "You didn't know. You can't beat yourself up when you didn't even know I existed."

"That's logical, but my feelings aren't logical. So, um, would you tell me about your mom?"

"She was... I always knew she loved me. She tried. She really tried to be a good mom. When she wasn't high. I remember drawing pictures with her with those little crayon packs that they give you at, like, Denny's, with just three colors, you know? And when we packed up our house after... I found drawers just full of my stupid drawings. She tried. I know she... She loved me, and she accepted me. When she met Lukas, she promised him that being, um, together, with me, that it would get easier. And she was right. We... We're really good now, when he's not on the circuit. I love it when he's at home and..." Philip shrugged, running out of steam.

Tim put his hand on Philip's shoulder and squeezed. "Thank you."

Philip looked over at him and saw there were tears in Tim's eyes, but that he was smiling.

Philip smiled back and nodded. There was something warm in his chest at the thought that Tim would get teary over him. As much of a sensitive, understanding guy as Gabe was, Philip had never seen him get like that because of him.

It looked like Lukas was right and Tim was maybe going to be good for Philip after all.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short ending.

Tim set himself the task of figuring out what he wanted to accomplish by contacting Anne's family, and in what ways he could benefit Philip with the information.

There were the practical things like medical history and genetic predispositions that could really be important in Philip's life as he grew older. That was a worthwhile reason to do whatever he needed to obtain the information. Of course, Tim was perfectly capable of hacking records to learn all that, so it wasn't as compelling of a reason as some of the more emotionally based ones.

Philip deserved to know why he and his mother had been without familial support throughout his life. And although it probably wasn't a nice story, Tim felt he needed to know as well.

The stops and starts in Philip's sentences while speaking about his childhood had told Tim more than the young man could possibly have known when Tim combined the information with things Lukas had said, or topics he'd avoided saying anything about. Tim's heart ached for what he knew and greatly suspected the young man had been through, from neglect and hunger as a child to a variety of unsavory and illegal things an older Philip had had to do to survive.

The knowledge he could get from Ann's family would likely just fill in a few final pieces of the puzzle.

And Tim was ready for them.

_Greetings,_

_My name is Timothy McGee. I went to college with you for 2 semesters. I recently learned that a brief tryst with your younger sister Annie resulted in a child who has grown into a respectable young man. Since he never knew any of his mother's family, I have chosen to contact you myself. I would like to be able to help Annie's son by knowing the family medical history at the very least, and since I can no longer speak with Ann herself, I'd appreciate it if you would call or write to me._

_Sincerely,_

_Timothy McGee_

Tim was surprised to receive a phone call within a few days.

"Um, hey, Tim. It's Jeff Shea."

Tim excused himself and went to one of the unused conference rooms for privacy.

"Hi. I wasn't sure you'd call."

"What did you mean when you wrote you can't ask Annie herself?"

The voice through the phone was shaky. Tim took a breath. Of course Jeff wouldn't have known that Ann had died.

"She... I'm sorry to tell you that she died last year."

"Oh my god..."

"Jeff... Did you know? Did you know I was the father?"

"Jesus. No. She wouldn't say. And then she was gone. And Dad thought I knew where she was, and they beat the shit outta me, and I left. I joined the Army the next day."

"She ran away?"

"Yeah. I swear to God I don't know where she went. I looked for her, but the town just isn't that big. I was certain she caught a bus to go as far as she could. God... I can't believe Annie's dead. Wait, but you know her son? Where is he? Is he okay?"

"He's, um, yes. He's fine. He's in college in New York City."

"I-I'm glad. I wonder... Could I meet him? I really... I just never thought she'd... But if he's all that's left of her, um."

"I'll ask him. I can give him your contact information, anyway."

"Yeah, um, please do."

"And I want to get as much medical and genetic history from you as possible."

"Yeah, um, I can tell you what I remember but I was young when I stopped speaking to my parents."

"I'll be contacting them, too."

"Um, I don't know if that's the best idea."

"I figured. But I want the information and I'm going to get it."

Tim didn’t specify that the medical history wasn’t all the information he wanted.

~*~

It turned out Philip’s grandfather had died almost a decade before. His grandmother had sold the family farm and lived in a tiny apartment over the beauty salon in the small town where Anne and Jeff had grown up.

When Tim found her, he had legal documents ready and arranged to take a day off and go visit her in person.

Angelica Shea was a husk of a woman who coughed her way through cigarette after cigarette as Tim questioned her. She answered questions in a flat, disinterested tone, staring at the daytime gameshows on her small television as Tim perched uncomfortably on a shabby loveseat.

“Gordon smacked Annie around after she told us about getting knocked up,” Angelica said, referring to her late husband. “And I wasn’t surprised she took off. Expected her to come back like she had before, though.”

“She’d run away before?”

“Always looking for something better, looking for the good stuff. I don’t know why she didn’t come back that last time.”

Angelica finally looked directly at Tim. “Did she find some good stuff?”

Tim shifted and nodded. From what Philip said, Anne had been happy at least some of the time: she’d found some joy in her son.

“Uh-huh. Well, whatever.” Angelica turned back to the television. “I’ll sign your papers. You can have whatever information you want about me and Gordon and all.”

Tim offered a pen and the older woman signed a messy scrawl. At least he’d have some legal recourse if he needed it regarding the information he intended to dig up for Philip.

“Her son is a good person. He’s a survivor, and he’s happy now, in New York,” Tim offered.

Angelica shrugged, and Tim left, unhappy about the lack of interest the woman had shown in her grandson but relieved in a way that Philip wouldn’t have to be subjected to her apathy directly.

It turned out that Lukas was the one who got upset about Angelica’s disinterest. He railed at Tim over the phone, telling Tim that Philip deserved so much more than what he’d been given in the way of family.

“You know I agree. And he’s found more family than most people get. He has Gabe and Helen. His uncle wants to be a part of his life. I’m not going anywhere, and my found family will be there for him probably more than he wants. But really, I think you’re all the family he feels he needs. He loves you, Lukas.”

Lukas was quiet for a long time after that. “I love him, too. Thinking about asking him to marry me, Tim.”

Tim’s eyes filled with tears at that. “Well you have my blessing on that, whenever you decide to do it. I don’t want Philip to think I’m trying to buy my way into his life, you know that, but I’ll happily pay for any wedding you guys want.”

“So you think he’d say yes?”

“Yes, Lukas, I think he’ll say yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is an abrupt ending. I didn’t know where else to go with it and I want to start finishing some works and not leave things hanging. Please be kind in any comments or reviews. It’s been a hell of a year while I’ve been stuck creatively.

**Author's Note:**

> Please be patient with updates as I hadn't intended to make this into a multichapter story. And I'm totally making up my own headcanon for Philkas, hoping to be disproved by a second season that has yet to be announced.


End file.
